China painted road surface messages earlier this month on its side of a bridge to North Korea that has stood unused for over a decade, new satellite imagery shows, the latest indication of plans to finally open the road link as the DPRK pushes forward construction on related trade or customs facilities.

The messages in Chinese appeared on the side of the New Yalu River Bridge entering North Korea on May 8, instructing drivers which lane to use depending on their vehicle type, according to joint analysis by NK Pro and SI Analytics of Planet Labs and Airbus PleiadesNEOSX1 satellite imagery.

The phrase visible in bright yellow characters marks a lane reserved for “inbound coach/passenger vehicles” (客车入境专用通道), the imagery shows. The same warning is painted in the other direction in the opposite lane.

SI Analytics describes the activity as “final preparations” for the bridge’s opening in its latest nK Insight report, while also assessing that Chinese authorities appear to “periodically” patrol the bridge with vehicles.

The New Yalu River Bridge features four lanes total and was built by China in 2014 following an investment of over $350 million. The bridge has remained largely unused for over a decade, with North Korea only completing a connecting highway in 2020. 

While the bridge remains unopened, NK Pro reported earlier this year that North Korea appeared to revive efforts to build a sprawling customs complex or trade zone at the foot of the bridge in February.

Notably, a Chinese firm had planned to build an economic park near Sinuiju and the border, including its own customs and inspection facilities. One project coordinator previously hinted at plans to push the construction forward this year.

Satellite imagery of the construction site analyzed by SI Analytics shows that work has continued on the trade zone in recent months, though progress appears to be slow.

SI Analytics assessed that the customs facility “does not appear to be a top-priority project carried out under Kim Jong Un’s direct orders,” though it still holds “a certain degree of importance.”

The apparent preparations to finally open the road bridge come as North Korea and China appear to have hit a rough patch in their relationship in recent years, possibly due to Beijing’s displeasure with increased military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow over the war in Ukraine.

On the other hand, the two sides have ramped up trade and exchanged business delegations since last year, with Chinese journalists and dozens of students traveling to the DPRK.

Another sign that at least China-DPRK commercial ties may be stronger than assumed is increased train and vehicle activity in Dandong and Sinuiju since May 2024, according to AI-based analysis of satellite imagery by SI Analytics.

Meanwhile, in contrast to the slow pace of North Korean construction near the bridge, SI Analytics has found that work on the Wonsan-Kalma beach area is nearing completion ahead of its planned opening in June. 

The firm also spotted a recreational aircraft at the resort’s airstrip, likely a Cessna, possibly for use by VIP clients or Kim himself.

Edited by Bryan Betts

Correction: Updated at 4:33 p.m. KST on June 10, 2025 to indicate that the same Chinese phrase is painted on lanes running in both directions.